Everyday Motorists To Get Their Hands On The First Autonomous Volvo Car

Everyday motorists will be able to get closer to driving autonomous cars which are becoming a rage in the automotive world. Volvo has rolled out its first autonomous car, the XC90 off its assembly lines on September 9, 2016.

The Swedish company's first XC90 SUV is lined up to use Volvo's Drive Me project where regular drivers will get the chance to use the advanced self-driving features on public roads. An approximate 100 vehicles will be manufactured for the experiment of autonomous driving.

Drive Me project is expected to begin in Gothenburg in Sweden, followed by London and the company is looking to expand the experiment to yet unnamed cities in China. Volvo feels that real customers testing is crucial as autonomous cars begin widespread deployment globally.

As of now, Volvo offers semi-autonomous features on its 90-series cars. The company's Pilot Assist technology provides gentle steering inputs to keep the car aligned within the lane markings. The new XC90 being used in the Drive Me is far advanced technology. The vehicle will have steering wheel and pedals; however, drivers can get their hands off and feet off for extended periods.

The feature of Drive Me technology will be currently available in a limited fashion where drivers can drive the car in a specially designated autonomous driving areas in and around Gothenburg. Engineers will put the cars through a series of tests to make sure they are ready for the public experiment when it rolls off the assembly plant in Volvo's Torslanda manufacturing facility.